Video 5:46
Train trouble

Cheryl HallUpdated
Sat 13 Mar 2010, 2:03 PM AEDT

The new operator of Melbourne's train network is facing an uphill battle to meet its promise of a more reliable public transport system.

Transcript

JOSEPHINE CAFAGNA, PRESENTER: It's four months since Metro took over the management of Melbourne's trains from Connex and the company admits it's not living up to its promises. Apart from long-running problems like breaking and the replacement of old wooden sleepers, the Opposition has warned some of Melbourne's century-old rail bridges and viaducts are dangerous. Cheryl Hall reports.

CHERYL HALL, REPORTER: It's been no honeymoon for Melbourne's new rail operator, Metro. The company that took over from Connex in November last year has been hit with the same old problems: overcrowding, buckled tracks and trains that don't stop.

RAYMOND O'FLAHERTY, ACTING CEO METRO TRAINS MELBOURNE: A lot of failures in February. No surprises. They're a repeat of failures we saw in recent months. We had issues with our overhead lines, with our signalling equipment. We had some issues with - obviously with the track in terms of the adhesion which resulted in some overshoots. We had issues with some point. So in February we have - we've been analysing the data for the first couple of months. We've been looking at what are these failures and what do we need to do to fix them?

CHERYL HALL: But Metro also knew before it took over that Melbourne's rail infrastructure needed urgent repairs, especially its old bridges. Its asset management plan lists major structural problems including this rail bridge in Burgundy Road, Heidelberg, built in 1888. Documents obtained by the Opposition through Freedom of Information say it needs major substructural work and it's not the only one.

TERRY MULDER, OPPOSITION TRANSPORT SPOKESMAN: It's right across the network. It's serious. A lot of the bridge structures have reached their use-by-date. Concerns about bridging moving, abutments moving. They've all of a sudden realised that they've got a massive problem in front of them in terms of operator.

CHERYL HALL: Metro's own reports states the abutments on some older bridges, particularly on the Hurst bridge line, date back to the late 1800s. In addition some of the bridges towards the end of Pakenham line have shown movement in the abutments and will quite possibly require significant repair and strengthening.

The report recommends replacing the substructure in nine bridges along various lines.

TERRY MULDER: If someone says a bridge is in need of urgent repair, that a bridge is moving, the abutments are starting to move, then I would say that they've got a significant safety risk associated to them.

TERRY MULDER: Metro, as I say, the new operator, boy, have they had a wake-up call in the last couple of months understanding what it's like to run a rail network here in Melbourne.

RAYMOND O'FLAHERTY: It was always gonna be a challenge in these first few months. We can't fix everything straightaway. It's not an overnight fix. It will take time.

CHERYL HALL: Public Transport Safety Victoria says it's aware of Metro's renewal work and has no concerns at this stage. Metro's most urgent problem this week has been a lack of trains. On Wednesday, 22 trains were off the tracks because of equipment failure, including the eight Siemens trains that failed to stop in time at stations on the weekend. Most of the other trains were fixed quickly, but the Siemens trains have been sitting at the Newport rail yards waiting for a solution.

PETER MUTTON, MONASH UNIVERSITY: The product itself is a mixture of siliceous sand, fine siliceous sand which is typically used in sanding applications in locomotives. There's a clay base for it and a gel to give it some fluidity, and in addition, there's a very fine stainless steel powder shot in it, and that's there to give you electrical conductivity between the wheel and the rail so that your signalling system can detect where the train is.

CHERYL HALL: Developed in the UK about 20 years ago, Sandar is used there during autumn when leaves fall on the tracks making them slippery. Early tests by Monash University's Institute of Rail Technology are promising.

PETER MUTTON: If the adhesion limit is very low, it's like slipping on a banana skin or something like that; you just slide. So typically in the Melbourne system, the adhesion limit under some conditions it can be down to about 0.2 up to about 0.4. This sort of product can increase the adhesion level to about 0.5.

CHERYL HALL: From your tests so far do you think this is going to work?

PETER MUTTON: I think it will work. How long, how durable it would be once it's applied remains to be seen.

CHERYL HALL: The Opposition says it's too little, too late.

TERRY MULDER: Well, this braking problem was evident in 2003 and this has been going on backwards and forwards and each time it happens, of course, it puts people's lives in turmoil.

CHERYL HALL: Eight trains lying idle would have carried about 8,000 passengers who this week had to cram onto other services. It hasn't helped Metro's performance.

RAYMOND O'FLAHERTY: We're not here to make excuses for our poor performance. We're focused on fixing what's not right. And as I've said, we've commenced a major program in February to do that.

JOHN BRUMBY, PREMIER: I am obviously very disappointed that they are not meeting those targets, and I believe that they need to lift their performance.

CHERYL HALL: When the Government dumped Connex in favour of Metro, John Brumby promised a more punctual and reliable train service. Eight months from the election, like frustrated commuters, his patience is wearing thin.

JOHN BRUMBY: They've had, what now? four months and they're not meeting their performance targets.

CHERYL HALL: Metro says it hopes to have the eight Siemens trains back on the tracks this weekend.